


Protector

by Lizziebee87



Series: Eden [2]
Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, Sex, attempted mental manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-08-19 09:07:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20207227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizziebee87/pseuds/Lizziebee87
Summary: Now aged fifteen Eden will have to start making difficult choices in life,





	1. Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place ten years after the events of Eden. How much more pain will heaven cause Aziraphale and Crowley?
> 
> Part 2 of Eden.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten years later and things are stirring again.

What was this thing in front of him? This strange small creature with the red hair that looked at him with out fear, did it not know he was dangerous? Did it not know that he could destroy it with a single bite?  
Maybe he should bite at it, scare it away so it wouldn't get hurt. He looked at the small creature with his yellow eyes, he moved closer to see it better sensing the air around it. Did he know this creature? No, he couldn't know it. He had always been in this room, he didn't know anyone. He had to get rid of it, having it here was making his head spin. It reached out to touch him and with a sharp lunge forwards his fangs broke through the small creatures skin, it screamed loudly and...

Crowley shot up in bed with a loud pain filled scream, his body was burning but his body was covered in a cold sweat. Every muscle twitched as he tried to calm his breathing, these nightmares had been invading his head for ten years now and so far Crowley had not found away block them out. The bed shifted as Aziraphale sat up next to him, the angel brought his arms around his husband and held him tight ''it's alright love. I am here'' his voice was gentle and his blue eyes calm. The bed room door opened and Eden came running in ''what's wrong? I heard you screaming'' now aged fifteen their daughter had gained more control over her powers, she could now feel the pain of others through the magical shield that surrounded Earth. What she felt from her mother terrified her, she also knew he had been trying to hide it from her and her father. Eden sat on the edge of the bed and took her mother's hand, her green eyes met his yellow ones and Crowley pulled her into a hug ''nightmares little flame. Ones that I can't seem to get rid of'' he looked at the clock, it was three fifteen ''sorry I woke you''.

Eden placed a kiss on his cheek ''What happens in these nightmares?'' She pushed a couple of stray curls away from her face but kept her eyes on her mother. Crowley would keep everything inside if he was left alone, he still hadn't really talked about what had happened to him when he was imprisoned in heaven but Aziraphale had a feeling the nightmares were linked to that. 

''Don't worry about that little flame. Best get back to bed, you have school later'' Crowley gave her a small smile ''I love you''. Eden smiled back and looked at her father, Aziraphale gave her a wink and she headed back to her own room. ''You need to start trusting her'' Aziraphale sighed while rubbing Crowley's back, ''I do trust her. But she is still young and I don't want to burden her with anything stressful'' the demon pulled his knees up and hugged them. ''Especially now with school starting exam preparations'' sometimes Crowley was glad he was never a child, exams sounded hard and boring.

Aziraphale nodded gently ''understandable. But please tell me what has been troubling you at night'' his voice soothed Crowley slightly and he took a deep shuddering breath, ''everything happens during my time imprisoned in heaven. I am trapped in my snake form, in that tiny cell and Eden walks in. I look at her but I don't recognize her, she reaches for me but I attack her. I see my fangs brake her skin and I hear her scream, but I can't stop myself. There are also times when I attack you, it's almost as if my mind wants me to know what could have happened if Raphael hadn't been jogging my memory for those five years.'' If it hadn't been for the silent comfort and help from his long lost twin, Crowley was positive he would have forgotten everything his life had become.

There was something Aziraphale had noticed about Crowley over the past ten years, he hadn't shifted into his snake form. Or any form for that matter. This had worried Aziraphale greatly so he asked Raphael about it during one of the archangels visits. After thinking for a while Raphael told him it was possible Crowley was afraid to shift ''he was forcefully imprisoned in that form for five years, he may fear he'll never be able to change back. Gabriel has made him fear the form my brother loved, Gabriel may be gone but his stain still remains.''

Aziraphale sat back in bed and pulled Crowley down next to him, they just lay holding each other, letting the wind outside sooth them. Crowley brushed his fingers through his husband's soft blonde hair, it was a comfort for him knowing his angel was here ''I love you Zira'' he whispered and placed a soft kiss on the angel's lips. Aziraphale smiled through the kiss and pulled Crowley closer ''I love you too dearest. I will find away to help you block out these nightmares. Will you be able to sleep again?''

''Yes. I'm sorry I woke you both, I hate that I can't get these horrors out of my mind. I know you are both safe but it's almost like the nightmares are placed in my head on purpose.'' Crowley settled his head on Aziraphale's chest and closed his eyes, he took a deep breath and relaxed.  
Aziraphale kissed the red hair tenderly and snuggled down, the last thing Crowley said rolling around inside his head. The angel had feeling a certain 'SOMEONE' was still punishing him.

Three hours later Eden was getting ready for school, she had managed to get back to sleep but she was still worried for her mother. Taking a look in the mirror Eden noticed she had dark rings under her eyes and sighed, nothing she could do about them now ''I can just say I was up late finishing homework. That's believable'' she muttered twisting her hair into a bun. Her curls were difficult to tame on the best of days.  
Before going downstairs she popped her head round her parent's bedroom door, her mother was sitting up in bed looking pale and miserable ''morning mama'' Eden sat on the bed and took his hand. Crowley gave her hand a squeeze ''morning little flame. Did you manage to sleep?''

''Yeah. You look so tied, please try to sleep a little more later'' for a fifteen year old Eden had a very high motherly and protective instinct for everyone she cared about, even her own parents. Crowley smiled ''I will try, have a good day. Love you.''

''Love you too'' Eden gave Crowley a kiss on the cheek and headed downstairs, she got her lunch ready while listening to the news. Nothing interesting was being said, nothing new there. Aziraphale was sitting in his chair with a very thoughtful look on his face, ''are you alright dad?'' Eden's voice was soft as she sat on the arm of the chair. Aziraphale looked up at her ''Your mum said something last night that has me worried and a little annoyed. I have a feeling She is giving him these nightmares on purpose, to try and brake him down so you will agree to train with her''.

''What. Oh for goodness sake. I told her no, I told her to leave us alone'' Eden felt her blood to fizz but she took a few deep breaths to calm down. Flaming out before school was never a good idea. She felt her father take hold of her shoulders and she looked up at him, his eyes were clear and sharp ''I am going to ask Raphael if he knows anything. Try to keep a clear head but if you start to feel overwhelmed give me a call''.

Luke Pulsifer was waiting for her outside the gate and the two of them headed off to school together, he could tell something was off about his friend but he knew she would tell him when she was ready.


	2. The Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eden gets an unwanted visit at school.

School was not the most fun place on the planet, but when you are a half angel half demon hybrid sitting at a desk was a consent war. The angel half of her wanted to stay there and learn but her demon half was bored and wanted to go home. Eden tapped her pen on her text book trying to focus, Luke gave her a poke in the ribs ''you're nearly asleep'' he whispered ''are you alright?''

Eden rubbed her eyes huffing through her nose ''I forgot to have breakfast this morning, I'm just hungry'' worrying about her mother had thrown off her morning routine. It was taking a lot of skill to stop her stomach growling in class. Maths was not Eden's favourite class and time was dragging.

After what seemed like an eternity the bell rang and the whole class looked eager to leave, packing up their stuff and hurrying out the door. Eden and Luke strolled to their usual lunch spot, a small stairwell near the old gym, ''you have been off all morning. Has something happened?'' Luke nibbled his sandwich while he studded his friend, as she poked at her pasta salad. ''My mother has been having really bad nightmares for the past few years, he had one last night. He won't tell me what happens in them but I can tell they are distressing'' Eden lent her head back against the wall and sighed ''father thinks She is doing all this'' jabbing her thumb towards the sky Eden made it quiet clear who she was talking about.  
Luke clenched his teeth and nodded. He hadn't fully understood what had happened ten years ago but as he got over things fell into place, he was now as protective of Eden as she was of him. He didn't want anything bad to ever happen to his best friend.

They changed the subject to talk about what lessons they both had that afternoon, Eden managed to finish her lunch and felt much better with a full stomach. They could hear the many voices of the other pupils drifting from the playgrounds, it all blended into background noise after a while and it was quiet comforting ''have you decided what exams you will take?'' Luke asked stretching his legs out so they sat either side of Eden, the red head bit her lip, thinking, ''history and music. Those are the only two I have picked, it's hard to choose.''

''So far I have picked science, I.T and geography. What?'' Luke saw the amused look on Eden's face ''I.T? Are you sure that's wise?''

''Hey I happen to be pretty good with computers. I don't take after my dad when it comes to them'' Luke smiled when Eden laughed deeply, she really did have a wicked side to her ''well that is understandable'' Luke thought as he watched her eyes shine. He really did care for her, he was just terrified to tell her or ask her parents if he could ask her on a date. He could continue being friends with her for a little while longer, you stick with those you love. Eden's mother and father and his parents proved that.

The bell rang ending lunch and the whole school made their way to class. Eden headed to English while Luke made his way to R.E. The chattering of the other pupils was little more than a buzzing in her ears as Eden waited outside the class room, something was stirring and Eden could feel it in her blood. The teacher arrived and the lesson got underway, about halfway through the receptionist knocked on the door and asked for Eden ''is everything alright?'' Had something happened at home?

''Your grandmother is here to see you'' the receptionist said gently as they headed to the office, ''my grandmother? I don't ha...Oh balls'' Eden quickly mumbled the last part as they neared the office door.  
Eden slammed it shut after she entered. The All Mighty was standing there, waiting for her. Face passive, welcoming ''hello Eden, it's lovely to see you again'' She spoke gently but this did nothing to lighten the girls mood ''what the fuck do you want?'' Eden didn't care about her language ''I told you to leave us alone. Why are you here?''

''I wish to talk to you, now that you are older I wanted to know if you have thought about your future'' the All Mighty sat down and indicated the other chair. Eden stayed standing, hands on her hips ''I told you ten years ago, I am not interested in training with you. Please go away and leave me...Leave us alone''.

''I know the whole thing may sound overwhelming but please let me explain everything. What you will bring about will be an absolute wonder, a world were war, hunger, illness will all be in the past. You are the saviour the world has been waiting for'' the All Mighty stopped talking seeing Eden's face go bright red with anger.

''I don't care about any of that. Raphael will be able to do all that, that is why you created him and my mother. They are your heirs. Please just go back to your little desk and I won't tell my parents you were here, I want to go back to my lesson'' Eden turned to leave but the All Mighty stopped her ''your mother hasn't been sleeping well has he''.

''Have you something to do with that?'' Her father might well have been right ''have you been giving my mother nightmares to brake him slowly?''

''I need him to understand that without you things like that will continue to happen. After he killed Gabriel things have been somewhat hectic, the angels have been given a very rude wake up call. Crowley has caused quiet a stir, the angels fear him more than ever before. You have abilities that no one else has, you will be able to calm the angels, to let them know that they have nothing to fear from him''.  
''They don't have anything to fear from him. If you all just leave us be then my mother won't be so defensive. You know what I am done, go away. Just go away, I will be letting my father and Raphael know what you have done'' Eden left the office and headed to the toilets, she was tense and her hands were shaking as she called her father. 

Telling him everything that had happened Eden wondered if she should go home early, she wouldn't be able to concentrate with everything going around in her head. ''I can't believe She did that, well I can believe it. I guess Gabriel takes after Her, never listens to anyone and thinks they are doing the right thing even though it clearly isn't'' Eden knew she was rambling, she got that trait from her father, but she really needed to clear her head. Aziraphale waited for her to finish ''I have found away to block out the nightmares, I just hope it is strong enough to shield against Her. If you want to come home it's OK with me, please don't stress yourself out with this''.

''I'll see how I feel. I only have two more lessons left. Love you.''

''Love you too sweetheart. See you later.''

Eden headed back to class, apologized to the teacher and finished up her work. She was angry and very worried, why couldn't her life be simple and normal? That's all she wanted, to do her exams, get meh results and get a somewhat decent job. Why was that hard for people to understand? 

''Just get through the day and sort it all out later'' Eden thought to herself as she went to her next lesson, P.E was a great way to get rid of pent up energy. Especially if there was plenty of running, getting changed and going out to the sports field was always a hyper time. The girls were laughing while taking out the necessary equipment and it wasn't long before Eden forgot most of her worries.

But as we know things are never that easy, it must have been maybe twenty minutes or so before fire alarm sounded. It screamed around the school causing everyone to cover their ears, at first they all thought it was a drill but then someone spotted smoke. 

The school was on fire.

All the pupils lined up in form class order and the registers called out, Eden's teacher went through each name one by one but when she got to 'P' and called out Luke's name he didn't answer. She called again, still no answer. Something dropped in Eden's stomach when she looked back at the school building, flames now coming from the roof. Her friend was still inside and something told her this fire was no accident.


	3. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale takes Crowley's mind off his nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The events of this chapter take place at the same time Eden is going about at school

The front door closed as Eden headed out to school, he could hear her talking with Luke Pulsifer as they walked away. Aziraphale gave a smile and went up to the bedroom, Crowley had put the telly on yet didn't seem to be watching it ''feeling any better love?'' Aziraphale sat next to his husband and took his hand, Crowley sighed ''not really. I just need to sleep but I am too scared to close my eyes'' the demon's head felt heavy and his yellow eyes had lost their shine. Those eyes always burned bright, if that light vanished it was a very bad sign.

''I will go through my books and see if I can find something to help. I would look for something to help keep you asleep but it would be cruel to leave you in the nightmares'' the angel ran his hand down Crowley's leg gently, the soft sigh was a comforting sound. 

''Please just comfort me. I have kept you away but I need you, I have missed your touch. I have missed you'' Crowley gave Aziraphale's hand a tug as an invitation. When the nightmares began Crowley had become fearful of hurting Aziraphale so had been keeping his distance slightly. He hated being like this, lost, unsure and frightened to be intimate with the angel he loved, Crowley was forcing himself to want this. He knew once Aziraphale started he would begin to enjoy himself again.

Giving a sad smile Aziraphale moved further up the bed ''are you sure? I want you to be completely sure you want me to touch you, the last thing I want to do is frighten you.''

''I'm sure. Please'' Crowley wanted to feel his body burn under the soft skilled hands, wanted those hands to make him moan loudly. Pushing off the quilt and taking off his T-shirt the demon presented his dark, shimmering scales ''let's start here.'' He lay back on the bed and raised his arms above his head, this gave Aziraphale full access to his upper torso, it was such a beautiful sight. Aziraphale started running his hands carefully down Crowley's sides, the scales smooth like silk under his fingers ''is this alright?'' 

''Yes. Perfect.''

Alternating between stroking with his palms and the backs of his fingers it wasn't long before Aziraphale got Crowley to relax slightly, arching his back when the angel's hands brushed his nipples Crowley gave a little whimper. ''Easy now, plenty of time'' Aziraphale started placing kisses along his husband's chest causing the skin to become flushed. The angel gave a small bite, being careful not to brake the skin as they didn't know if Crowley's poison would harm Aziraphale if he got any blood on him. They didn't want to risk it.

''Take these off me'' Crowley panted nodding to his boxers, there was a very large bulge already showing its self. Once he was fully laid bare Crowley gave an encouraging growl and nod. His blood was heating up and his mind beginning to race with pleasure. Aziraphale ran his hands down the full length of Crowley's body, from chest to ankles. The choked laugh stirred something in Aziraphale so he caught Crowley's mouth in a deep kiss, they looked at each other through the kiss and Crowley gently removed Aziraphale's shirt ''more?'' The question came out deeply from the angel's lips and he nuzzled Crowley's neck lovingly.

''More'' Crowley was starting feel more like himself but he needed full heat, wanted to be fully dominated by Aziraphale. Only he could heal him.

Stripping the rest of his clothing Aziraphale asked Crowley to roll onto his side, he then lay facing his husband and pulled their bodies closer together. He could feel the heat coming off Crowley's body ''what would you like me to do now?''  
''Your choice. I trust you'' Crowley's voice was a whisper and he could hear his heart beating in his chest.  
Aziraphale slipped a hand between Crowley's legs and stroked the hard member in slow movements, the roll of the sharp, slim hips was a sign he was doing something right ''I know you like this. Do you want me to go faster?'' Aziraphale followed the movement of Crowley's hips with his hand, watching his face. He looked like his old self. ''This is fine, I want to feel you for as long as possible'' the demon placed his forehead onto Aziraphale's and they gently made their way to their own version of heaven.

''Your mouth, please use your mouth'' Crowley wanted Aziraphale to do his little trick on him, Aziraphale gave that wicked smile and pushed Crowley onto his back ''since you asked nicely'' he purred and began kissing his way down his husband's body, hands following along the scales. The deep colours showing themselves in the light coming through the window, the angel took a moment to admire them then nipped gently at the sharp hip bones, ''you are dragging this out on purpose aren't you'' Crowley moaned looking down at the blonde hair. Blue eyes looked up at him, a smile clearly visible, ''I just want this to last and I want you to fully enjoy yourself''.

After what felt like another six thousand years Aziraphale finally took Crowley into his mouth and gave his husband what he wanted, every bit of tension disappeared and with each bob of his head Aziraphale brought Crowley closer to the release he needed. That they both needed. Lips parted, skin flushed and with some very beautiful sounds Crowley pushed himself up onto his elbows so he could watch Aziraphale work ''Zira. Angel, Oh my goodness'' he spread his leg wider and linked his fingers with Aziraphale's. They knew their rhythm very well, knew how to control their breathing and their speed to make everything last longer than any mortal ever could. With a loud cry Crowley finally came, he fell back onto the bed, hips thrusting with the powerful burst of flames that filled him. By the stars he felt free, but he needed to help Aziraphale first. Switching their positions on the bed Crowley straddled the soft hips and lowered himself down onto Aziraphale, both moaned at the feeling and Crowley started moving. Raising and falling with the angel's hands on his waist Crowley soon brought Aziraphale close to the edge. ''Yes dearest, I'm almost there'' he loved Crowley riding him and he soon came with a growl and deep thrusts of his hips. Crowley stayed straddling Aziraphale but lent forwards to capture his mouth in another kiss, ''would saying I needed that ruin the moment?'' Crowley asked as he settled onto Aziraphale's chest. ''No. Never love. I know things have been hard for you...''

A snorted laugh...''mind out of the gutter dearest. But know that I will always be here. I love you.''

''I love you too. I haven't felt this heated in ages, it feels so good.''

They lay next to each other, hot, flushed and spent. Crowley checked the time and was shocked to find it was nearly twelve o'clock, wow. They had made that last a good few hours. They cleaned themselves up and started looking through Aziraphale's books, it didn't take long before the angel found something that could help. Before he could tell Crowley his phone rang, it was Eden. The conversation wasn't the best, the All Mighty had paid Eden a visit at school and now his daughter was pissed, he listened to her rant and said she could come home early if she wanted too. He knew there was nothing he could say down the phone that would calm her down.

Another hour or so went by and Crowley had settled himself on the sofa with Aziraphale, they were watching one of those awful day time TV dramas. It was during this quiet time that a couple of fire engines hurried down the road, not thinking much about it they turned their attention back to the program. Nothing could be that close by as no smoke could be seen.

Then the news interrupted the silence. There was a fire at the school and a number of pupils were still trapped inside.


	4. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eden runs into the burning school and discovers the fire is anything but normal.

The school was in a frenzy, it turned out it wasn't only Luke that was missing. The fire had broken out near the history classrooms and none of the pupils and teachers could evacuate, the flames had spread fast along the corridors and the sprinklers hadn't gone off. This gave Eden the evidence she needed that this was no ordinary fire ''I need to get in there'' she mumbled making sure no one could hear her, she wouldn't be in any danger from the heat or flames.

The sound of sirens could be heard racing their way closer but with the speed the flames were moving along the roof it wouldn't be long before it came down, all she needed was to slip away and get inside. It would be stupid but it would save lives.  
With the teachers distracted trying to keep the children calm Eden soon found her moment, she quickly hurried around the back of the building and climbed in through a open window. Smoke filled the classroom but Eden found her way to the door easily, the corridor would be the main challenge.   
She could feel the heat on her skin as she made her way towards the history rooms, the smoke got thicker and soon she saw the flames come into view, taking a deep breath Eden stepped into the fire.

By the stars she had never experienced anything like this, the roaring of the fire was loud in her ears and in her blood. It was like her body was reacting to the inferno. Fighting it almost. Oh this was definitely no ordinary blaze, Eden could feel Her hand in this and from the way her magic was screaming in her head this fire was designed to hurt her. The All Mighty had done this to punish her, to push her ''She knew I would run to the rescue. She wants to know my limits.'' Pushing the flames to the side the best she could Eden slowly made her way to the classrooms, they came into view and it soon became clear the doors and windows were magically sealed shut. The banging on the glass was frantic and the sounds of screams broken by hacking coughs blended in with the roaring flames, Eden got to the first door and gave it a couple of hard kicks, it shuddered but showed no sign of opening ''a little magic to help then'' Eden focused a little energy and gave the door one more hard kick. It crashed open giving the teacher and pupils a jolt ''come on everyone out'' Eden shouted before moving to the next door, she used the same tactic and got the second room empty. The third one wouldn't be as easy. This was the room Luke was in and if the All Mighty was involved then She would secure this door tightly, through the window Eden could see the pupils trying to brake the glass with chairs. All of them starting to suffer from the heat and smoke.

Eden hammered on the window to get their attention, the teacher was horrified to see a pupil outside his door ''get to safety. Why are you still in the building?''   
''Move away'' Eden shouted, waving her arms. Luke turned to her and noticed her eyes were almost glowing, no one else would see it they would think it light from the fire, but he knew it was because she was building up energy. He gave her a once over and saw her arms were almost raw, all the hairs had been burnt off and her skin near blistering, it must hurt but she was not showing any signs. The door shuddered with a hard kick ''she must be using a lot of energy'' Luke thought as the door shuddered again. 

Eden was not feeling to good, she had never used this much before and it was taking its toll on her. But she wasn't going to give up now, never going to let Her win.   
At one point Eden was sure she could hear the All Mighty's voice talking to her through the flames ''you could stop all of this'' the voice seemed to say as Eden continued kicking the hell out of the door. It splintered slightly so she sent more energy towards it, it flung open ''come on everyone out. There isn't much time'' Eden moved away from the door to let the others past, Luke stopped next to her ''you look awful'' he gasped through a mouth full of smoke ''I feel awful. Come on we need to get out of here'' Eden took his hand and they followed their school mates away from the burning corridor.

During her frantic kicking of the doors Eden's hair had come loose and it now hung over her shoulders in their usual curls, Luke looked at her framed by the fire around her, she looked like a living flame. Her red hair was glowing, her skin bright red from the heat. She was beautiful. In a scary kind of way, but there was no denying she was brave in the face of danger.  
''Why has the fire hurt you?'' Luke asked nodding to her arms, her cheeks were starting to blister now, ''this is no normal fire. She did this'' Eden jabbed her finger upwards angrily, her head spinning. Her brain and body didn't feel like they were connected any more. There was a loud crash behind them and they turned to see the roof coming down, they picked up speed and ran towards the main doors.

Outside all the pupils and teachers who had been trapped inside were being checked over by paramedics, no one was badly hurt thankfully. Smoke inhalation, bruising from banging on the doors and windows and not to mention they were shaken up very badly. Parents were showing up and there was a lot of confusion while parents were trying to find their children but with help from the teachers things started to find a little order.  
Aziraphale and Crowley arrived with Anathema and Newton, they watched as their children stumble out of the burning building. Luke practically carrying an injured Eden. Her arms and face were burnt, the ends of her hair singed. Seeing this frightened Crowley as Eden was immune to fire, he had seen her set her own arm on fire (don't ask) and it hadn't caused her any pain or problems. She should have been fine with this, unless ''you bitch'' the demon growled to the sky ''you fucking bitch''. Aziraphale understood his meaning but focused his attention elsewhere ''care for your daughter first'' the angel said pulling Crowley into the school and over to where Luke and Eden were being treated. The two teens held onto each other, the shock finally settling in.

Eden woke up in a hospital bed a couple of hours later. When did she pass out? Boy did she hurt, her face felt tight and it itched but she couldn't lift her arms to scratch. Flicking her eyes around she saw her father sitting by the bed ''hello sweetheart'' Aziraphale sighed ''how do you feel?''

''Terrible. What about everyone else?''

''Always worrying about others. No one was badly hurt or worse, you saved quite a few lives.''

''You know who started the fire right?'' Eden's voice was rough and it hurt to talk but she wanted her suspicions confirmed. Aziraphale nodded ''your mother is fuming, he is checking up on Luke. I need to keep him busy or he will start a war.''  
Eden huffed a swear word and looked down at her arms, carefully covered so she couldn't see how bad the burns were. She could just heal them but that would cause people to ask questions.

Crowley entered the room, his eyes blazing ''Luke is going to be fine, he'll come by to see you shortly. Now young lady tell me something,''

''What?''

''What were you thinking? Running into a burning building, are you insane?'' Crowley noticed his daughter didn't even flinch ''well I am your child, so I may be a little mad'' Eden kept her voice and gaze steady but she could tell her mother wasn't in the mood for jokes, ''I wasn't thinking. People were in danger and I went to help, that's what I do, I help people. She purposely put children in danger to see what I would do. I'm sorry for doing something stupid but I'm not sorry for saving lives''.

''I would never want you to apologize for saving people little flame, but seeing that the fire hurt you made me worry. If She has the ability to hurt you like this then She may try again.'' Crowley placed a kiss on her forehead ''the school will be closed for a while and you will be off for a while too. These burns will take time to heal if you don't help them along.''

''We'll see. Have you told Raphael about this?'' Eden asked looking between her parents ''not yet. We have been here the whole time'' Aziraphale answered smoothing Eden's hair away from her face ''we will alert him when we get home.''

Luke arrived and gave his friend a hug ''thank you Eden. Are you alright?''   
''I will be. Glad you are alright'' Eden gave Luke a smile, one Crowley noticed and smiled himself ''I see'' he thought turning to Aziraphale ''let's wait outside''.

Once the door was closed Crowley lent against the wall and huffed ''she's growing up'' he said gently pulling Aziraphale into a hug, ''thank goodness they're alright.''

''She's strong but this has shaken her up. Eden has found her weakness and it's one She know about too. This is going to get ugly'' the angel held Crowley back while watching Eden and Luke talking through the window. He saw the looks they gave each other and smiled. Crowley was right their daughter was growing up and judging by the amount of energy she used to save the kids she had a lot of magic in her.

Eden was discharged that evening but she would have to go back to the hospital everyday to have her burns treated. This was going to get old really fast.  
Once at home and in her own bed Eden felt a little better, her arms and face were itchy but she wasn't allowed to scratch, oh how she wanted to scratch. Aziraphale had told her he would put the oven gloves on her hands if she tried ''you win this round'' Eden muttered playfully. She then realized something ''I can't shower with my arms and face like this can I?''

''No, the doctor said you can't get the burns wet'' Crowley told her trying not to laugh at her reaction ''oh no. I am going to smell, I don't want to smell'' Eden whined.

''Don't worry, we'll think of something. Listen little flame, your dad and I are both very proud of you. You did what we would have done in your place, you did something I did once some years ago. I ran into a burning building to find Zira, so I can't really tell you off for doing the same thing'' Crowley played with one of Eden's curls ''we are a family who protects others by nature. It's what we do.''

''Believe me when I say I would do it again'' Eden stated bluntly looking towards the window ''I will always be there for them'' her eyes glowed and she blinked back tears, ''when I felt the flames burning my skin it frightened me. I guessed it was Her doing but I didn't back down, I kept going. I wasn't going to let Her win. Did I do the right thing?''

''Oh yes. You did the right thing, you are your own person. The only people who are allowed to tell you what to do are me and your dad, don't upset yourself over this. Your in shock and that's more then understandable, tell us everything you felt and everything you are feeling now. Don't hold it in little flame, we are here and we will do all we can to protect you while you protect them.'' Crowley saw Eden's face crumple as she let the tears fall and he held his brave hearted daughter tight.


	5. Weight of the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The All Mighty is a nasty piece of work.

Despite being uncomfortable Eden managed to get a few hours sleep, the pain killers helped to be honest but it was better than nothing. Every news channel reported on the school fire but so far no one had any answers, the police were going over the place with a very fine toothed comb ''I doubt they will find anything'' Eden told her parents.

The next morning Anathema came by 'Lily Cottage' to help Eden have a wash, a strip wash at the sink but every little helps, Eden however was a little self conscious about stripping in front of Anathema but her honorary aunt put her mind at ease quickly enough ''we are both built the same. You have nothing to hide, now let's get these covers off your arms'' very carefully the bandages were removed and the red, blistered skin came to light. It was taking a lot of will power from the whole family to not heal them. The blistering on Eden's cheeks were a little harder to cover up and during the night her hair kept getting stuck on them, the itching was getting unbearable. ''How's Luke?'' Eden had been thinking about her friend all night, he had sent her a couple of messages but she had been far too tied to respond, ''shaken but none the worse for wear. Thanks to you'' Anathema tucked one stray red curl behind Eden's ear and gave a thankful smile.

Once she had been washed and her hair pulled back into a tight braid it was off to the hospital for the first of many check ups. The telly was on in the waiting room and the news was full of the school fire, it had taken firefighters hours to get the fire under control but even with all the effort the damage to the building was immense. Much of the roof had caved in, windows had blown out and a number of walls had collapsed, it would take months to repair everything, ''so far the cause of the fire has not been determined, the police are looking for any witnesses who may have seen anything before the blaze was reported just after lunch time yesterday. Thankfully there were no fatalities. Back to the studio.''

''If the police find anything it will be made to look like an accident. Dodgy wiring or something'' Eden muttered leaning into her mother when he put his arm around her, Crowley kissed the top of her head ''we will hear soon enough. This isn't the best situation but things could have been a lot worse''.

The hospital visit went by in a blur for Eden a lot of things were being said and explained but she didn't really take it all in. Crowley did however, he was a good listener after all, ''we are having trouble with the itching is there anything we can do to help?''

''Not really, try very gently patting the area to ease the itch but be careful to not burst any of the blisters. OK, let me show you how to bandage Eden's arms just in case you need to change the dressings during the day'' the doctor was very patient with them both and she walked Crowley through each step, from cleaning to dressing the wounds. Crowley was getting a little tangled but he soon got it, ''it may be easier without the sunglasses Mr Crowley'' the doctor stated gently.

Crowley gave her a frown ''My eyes are very sensitive to light, I have to keep these on to avoid damaging them'' that was the story he had been telling people for years and he was sticking to it. The doctor's face flushed with embarrassment ''oh I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Now Eden anything else you want to talk about? Any nightmares? Anxiety?'' 

''No, nothing. The pain killers were helping me sleep, I think I was far to tied to dream last night'' Eden slumped forwards, she was still very tired all she wanted to do was get back to bed. The appointment finished up and they headed home ''shall we go past the school?'' Crowley asked as he started the car, the Bentley purred as the engine warmed up, Eden gave a little nod and her mother drove towards the damaged building.

It was worse than they first thought, the news coverage had only shown a small amount. There were a couple of fire engines still on standby just in case something else happened ''I hadn't even noticed the damage as I went in. All I wanted to do was find the others and get them out.'' A police officer who was standing guard at the gates walked over to the car ''can I help you two?''

''This is my daughter's school, we are on our way back from the hospital and she wanted to see how bad the building looked'' Crowley kept his voice calm and patted Eden's shoulder gently, the officer nodded ''I understand sir but we are still not sure if the area is safe. Best move along just to be sure.''

''OK officer. Thank you'' Crowley pulled away and headed home, when they neared the cottage however he felt a shift in his magic. ''Oh shit'' he thought as he walked up the path. In the living room Aziraphale was arguing with the All Mighty, Raphael standing in the doorway looking utterly lost ''I can't get a word in. They have been going at this for hours'' the archangel gave his brother a worried look before giving Eden a small smile. 

The yelling stopped when the All Mighty spotted Crowley and Eden watching them ''welcome home'' she cooed going to take a step towards them. Crowley stopped her ''you are not welcome here. We made that clear ten years ago'' his voice was sharp and he blocked the All Mighty's view of his daughter. Eden however pushed forwards and looked the All Mighty in the eye ''did you do this? Did you try and burn children in the school because I told you to piss off?'' Eden held up her arms.

''Listen to me, I need you to understand that things can't be easy like you want them to be. Yes I started the fire at your school, I wanted to see what you would do and I must say I am impressed.''

''Impressed. You trapped children in a burning building just to see what I would do. You could have killed them, you could have killed my best friend'' Eden flung herself at the All Mighty but Azirapahle held her back ''I would let you attack but not with your arms in that state.''

''Eden you have a responsibility to the people of the Earth and I want you to start behaving yourself'' the All Mighty saw the look of hatred in Eden's eyes, it was the same look Crowley had given Her when She had banished him.

''No, you listen to me. I don't give a shit about you, all you do is cause pain and suffering to others. First my mother then countless others and I know you don't plan on stopping there.''

''You need to bring balance back. That is why I allowed you to be born, to fix the holes that this world carries. To bring about a world of peace and happiness.''

''Sorry but you didn't allow me to be born, I was an accident. Also you keep going on about this world of peace that I am to bring, why can't you just do that? Why can't you repair the problems you allowed Gabriel to make when you looked the other way? Are you unable too?'' Eden could feel her blood start to boil but she didn't struggle against her father's hold. The All Mighty dropped her gaze ''you talk to much child.''

''Good, then hopefully something will get through that thick skull of yours. You have made such a mess of this place and you can't be bothered to clean it up yourself. People pray to you for guidance, for answers, comfort. If they knew what a piece of shit you actually are they would be horrified. I am not healing your wounds'' Eden held her arms up again ''I won't even heal my own.''

''I am sorry you feel that way, but you have a duty. One that I have planned for you long before your parents met, long before I created Aziraphale. He and Crowley may have broken many rules but they did the one thing I needed them to do'' the All Mighty looked towards the blonde angel holding his daughter back. Aziraphale shook his head ''you had no plans for her, you were as shocked about her conception as Crowley and I were.''

''That's gross dad'' Eden pulled a face, the lightest she had looked since the fire.  
Aziraphale snorted ''sorry sweetheart.''

''Can we get back to the matter in hand'' the All Mighty didn't appreciate being ignored ''I started the fire because I wanted to see how much you care for others, turns out you are a very protective person. You are the one the people need, the one the Earth needs, come with me and train. Let me show you what your powers and abilities could be used for, you have so much to give. Let me help you open the true potential of what runs in your veins.''

Eden took a deep breath and moved away from her father ''if you only wanted to see what I could do why did the fire burn me? I am immune to fire, I am half demon it doesn't hurt me. So why did that fire burn me?'' Her voice was clear and calm, something told the All Mighty the girl knew what had happened.

She looked at Eden full in the eye, realizing she had backed herself into a corner. She had forgotten Eden was a mix, the fire She had used on the school should have caused Eden all sorts of problems other than just burns and blisters. How could she forget the abomination was half angel? ''Divine fire.''

''You were trying to kill me. Hell fire can't harm a demon but your Divine fire can harm them, Raphael told me that, it was only my angel side that stopped me from burning up. These blisters aren't looking so bad now. I wasn't born to take over from you was I? I am a threat to you. This world of peace you keep going on about, I don't bring it about by taking over from you do I? I create it by protecting the world from more of your shit. The school was the first step wasn't it?'' Eden was screaming by the end of her rant but no one could blame her, she was the target not Luke.

''You should not exist. You should never have been born, Gabriel was right. Thanks to you I lost one of my best angels. Things are out of balance and they need fixing. You and I should work together, you have much to offer. Think about it.''

Think about it. She couldn't be serious. ''No. I will never work with you, I will never forgive you for what you tried to do. You almost killed children and that is a big no no in this house.'' Eden could feel her flames starting lick at her finger tips but she kept them in, the All Mighty squared up to Eden the best she could ''you don't want me as an enemy my girl. Let me warn you now.''

''Too late. Believe me when I say I will protect the people of Earth from you, I will never let you harm them ever again. If you want a war with me you have one'' Eden didn't back down and she would never back down again. Not to Her, not to anyone but her family.

Raphael stepped forwards cuffing the All Mighty's arms behind her back ''what are you doing Raphael?''

''You have done a lot of damage. I can't risk you causing more, you will sit in the cells until this is sorted out. I am sorry this happened'' he directed this last part to Crowley and Aziraphale ''we will get through this somehow.''

Raphael left with the All Mighty, She wasn't pleased about being imprisoned. Thought She was beyond such things. She wasn't, no one was.

Eden was angry, confused, scared every emotion possible was running through her. She sat in between her mother and father, she was glad they were there ''what now?'' Her voice was small, she had shouted herself hoarse and now her throat was sore.

Aziraphale looked over at Crowley ''first you heal. Raphael will keep Her under control the best he can and we go from there. You will not be doing this alone, the three of us will do this together.''

Crowley nodded ''just don't do anything stupid like me. I would never forgive myself if you did.''

''Don't worry I won't. We are stronger as a whole. Talk about having the weight of the world on your shoulders.''


	6. Trust and advice.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael wants answers.

Raphael led the All Mighty to the cells, blocking out her constant objections during the never ending walk. ''I demand you release me immediately, how dare you do this'' She shot Raphael a stare that would have made anyone else fearful but the archangel ignored her, all he wanted to do was protect his family. 

Arriving at the cells the All Mighty tried again to convince Raphael she was trying to do the right thing ''listen to me child, you don't know what that girl is capable of. She is an abomination and I had wanted her to trust me so I could have removed her from existence humanely, no one would have remembered her. It would have been like she had never been born, Aziraphale and Crowley would have been none the wiser.''  
Raphael shoved her into one of the cells ''you are vile. How could you think something like that? Eden is a great girl and she deserves to be left in peace, they all do. Sometimes I try and remember when you changed and became dependent on peoples fear and sadness'' he pushed his hair out of his face and sighed heavily. He had been working hard these past few years and he could feel the strain every now and then. The All Mighty watched him carefully, she had to admit that he and Crowley were so much alike. Something else she regretted doing, ''I want to talk to you about Crowley's poison. I knew he had that ability but I didn't know YOU had given it to him. Care to explain?''

''One last act of love from one brother to another. I wanted him to have the ability to protect himself should the need arise. From what I can tell he has only used it a couple of times, even with deadly poison in his system he still isn't evil, he has a bad attitude, but that's it.'' Raphael lent against the door frame thinking back to the day Crowley had been banished. He marveled at his brother's strength and adaptability, Crowley had been tossed aside, branded as evil and a mistake, constantly told he was unworthy of (and unable to give) love, respect and kindness. But despite all that he had proven everyone wrong, the relationship he had with Aziraphale was greater than any relationship Raphael had ever seen. But because one was an angel and one a demon the love they had for each other was seen as disgusting and unnatural, it looked as if anything they did was seen as bad.

''I still can't believe Crowley killed Gabriel, he must have used a lot of that poison to kill him so quickly'' the All Mighty growled ''I have lost one of my most trusted angels. All the other angels are still in disarray. Have you any idea what you have helped to do? Things are going to get much worse from now on.''

''Not with you in here and me taking charge out there. And not all angels are lost and confused, my old soldiers still had loyalty to me all these years. They were more than happy to help retrain the angels the best they could.'' Raphael didn't bother telling Her that Aziraphale was one of his former soldiers, She should know all that. Right? It did appear that Her memory was starting to 'go' seeing as She had forgotten Eden was half angel, the Divine fire was a horrid move on Her part. Crowley was meant to be the evil one, even he hadn't done anything like that.

Panicking slightly when she realized she wasn't going to be released the All Mighty tried again to talk Raphael around, ''listen to me carefully. Eden is dangerous, she will stop people from trusting us. She will cause a war between the Earth, heaven and hell, the death and destruction will be unthinkable. You are the only one Crowley and Aziraphale trust, you need to do something.''

''No! Eden is only dangerous to you. The damage you have caused is so great I don't even know if it can all be undone, so far I have been able to push the humans in the right direction to help with their plastic problem, but even that will take years to sort out. Why have you allowed so much damage to be done? Why have you ruined the lives of the beings you created? Why are you so against helping them when they need you? If Eden is able to give the people a little hope of a better world then let her be that beacon. Let Crowley and Aziraphale continue to live their lives on Earth, they have done a great job in looking after it. Or do you not like anyone being happy?'' Raphael hadn't noticed he had gone on a rant, he had more to get off his chest but thought it best to stop talking for the time being. 

''Sometimes allowing the humans to destroy themselves is the best way to help with the population and to see who is stronger. Survival of the fittest. I did it once before with the flood after all...''

''Yes and that worked great'' Raphael added sharply.

''Nothing I say will convince you. But please think it over'' the All Mighty used her best pleading voice but Raphael shook his head and turned to leave. He had heard enough from her, she tried one more thing ''I can reinstate Crowley.''

''What?''

''Crowley. I can reinstate him. Make him an angel again, give him back his halo.''

Raphael exploded ''HOW DARE YOU. HOW DARE YOU TRY AND USE HIM LIKE THAT, HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE UP HERE NOR DOES HE WANT TO BE DOWN THERE. HE HAS A HOME, ON EARTH. IN BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES HE HATES.'' He calmed himself the best he could ''even if he did want to be back up here it wouldn't be my choice to make. He is more than capable of talking for himself'' Raphael left the cell but turned back to say ''we don't even have halos. Are you so out of the loop that you have forgotten what your own creations look like?''  
The door shut behind him and Raphael lent back on the wall and groaned deeply. That conversation had been painful, he needed answers but knew he wouldn't get any from the All Mighty. He walked to one of the cells further down the corridor, hopefully this angel was in a talkative mood.

''Hello Michael.''

''Hello Raphael. What do you want?'' The archangels looked at each other, there was no trust in Michael's eyes but she didn't tell him to leave. ''I need to talk to you. I have imprisoned the All Mighty but all she did was tell me that Eden is wrong for this world. What do you think? What can Eden do that is worse than everything you did with Gabriel?''

''Why ask me?''

''Sandalphon annoys me and Uriel is too young. You know more than anyone else up here, I need some advice'' Raphael saw the smirk appear on Michael's lips, she had managed to keep herself looking smart but still had her sour attitude. ''Advice from me. You must be desperate. What would you like to know?''

''Do you believe what She says about Eden? Do you believe that she is dangerous?'' Raphael sat next to Michael feeling the shift in atmosphere ''was everything going on around here Gabriel's doing or Her doing?''

''Things have been going wrong up here for centuries. Ever since She banished Crowley oddly enough, it's almost like getting rid of him upset the balance of the whole universe. Look, what I have to say stays between us OK.'' Raphael nodded. ''You and Crowley, or what ever his name was before his fall, the two of you are the yin and yang of the universe, that's why everything is more in sync with its self now that the two of you are back together. But you and Crowley have been apart for far to long, that is why Eden was born. To help bring the balance back, to help push the humans in the right direction so they can finally walk on their own two feet'' Michael put a hand on Raphael's shoulder. ''Eden maybe an odd mix between angel and demon but she understands humans, one day things will be better.''

''What about the Gods of the other religions. What have they got to say about this?'' Raphael looked at the hand on his shoulder and looked back at Michael, she had changed since Gabriel's death but he wasn't ready to fully trust her yet.

''All the gateways have been permanently sealed. No one can go between other realms ever again, even you can't open them'' Michael just had to have one last dig at him, ''sorry. But I have a feeling things can only get better if you keep Her locked up. Eden has a long way to go, but one day she will be a great protector Raphael and that can only happen if she's left to develop her powers. With help from her parents and from you she will do great things''.

The two archangels talked for a little while longer, from what Michael told him it was clear the All Mighty had allowed Gabriel to do much more damage than first thought. Baby steps were needed, baby steps and a gentle healing hand.


	7. Brotherly chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael and Crowley have a little talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I looked back at this, this morning I noticed I had left out much of the chapter. I hadn't copied and paste properly, sorry to anyone who has already read this.

Raphael arrived the next morning and asked Crowley if they could have a privet chat. The demon agreed and the two of them went for a walk through the woods, the weather was a little damp so few people were out and about. Raphael told his brother about the conversations he'd had with the All Mighty and Michael ''from what Michael told me, you and I were created to help with balancing the universe and that banishing you upset that balance. Eden was born to help repair the rift the All Mighty caused because she didn't want to listen to anyone'' the archangel sighed and looked up at the sun through the trees.

Crowley noticed the look and smiled sadly ''have you ever seen Him again?''

''No. All the gateways are either closed or destroyed, I doubt I will ever see Him again.'' Raphael had become very serious with a god from a different religion many, many years ago, but that is a story for another time.  
''Anyway. What do you think Eden will do? She has so much ahead of her'' Raphael pushed his curls back from his face while stopping to lean against a tree, Crowley joined him ''she is focusing on healing herself first. Eden told us last night that she will only intervene when absolutely necessary, so if an angel, demon or All un-caring starts running amuck then Eden will step in.'' Crowley slid down the tree trunk and sat himself on the ground, Eden had slept well last night but that might have because Aziraphale had placed runes around both bedrooms to help block out nightmares. It was possible the nightmares Crowley had been having would stop now that She was locked away but the angel didn't want to risk it, he may have over done it with the runes but Aziraphale was a worrier so Crowley allowed him to do want he thought best.

''Did She really say she wanted to kill Eden?'' Crowley looked up at Raphael through his sunglasses, he knew he didn't have to wear them around his brother but old habits die hard. Raphael nodded and sat next to him ''She said she would have removed Eden from existence humanely, then from the sound of it She would have wiped everyone's memories, you and Aziraphale included, so it would have been like Eden was never born. I couldn't believe what I hearing'' his green eyes shone in the sun ''should I keep Her locked up just to give the Earth a chance?'' 

''I think that is a great idea, but you know that I don't give two shits about Her. If you think you can get things back in order up there then do what you think is best. I have faith in you, little bits of our past has been creeping back in over the past ten years and I know you are capable of anything. You stood in for Her so much you practically ran the place anyway'' Crowley snuggled into Raphael's shoulder ''you can bring order back, but please don't drain yourself by doing so.''

''don't worry I wont. I know when to slow down and recharge'' Raphael gave Crowley a cheeky smile.

''I can be very lazy thank you very much'' Crowley smiled back and looked up at the sun again ''you and I both broke rules. So many rules. Did anyone find out about you and Him?''

''Not as far as I know. You should be the only one who knows about that,I trust you never told anyone'' Raphael saw the head shake and nudged Crowley fondly. ''I noticed Eden is close to that Luke boy. Are they together?'' 

''They are just friends but I have noticed they are getting closer. I think the fire brought some things to the surface, teenagers find that sort of thing awkward and don't tend to tell their parents about it'' after seeing the two teens talking and smiling in the hospital after the fire it was becoming clear that Eden and Luke had started feeling something for each other. The gentle sound of pattering on the leaves indicated that it had started raining, it was so calming that the twins just sat in silence listening for a while. 

''Crowley, can I ask you something?''

''Of course.''

''Have you shifted at all over the past ten years?''

Crowley stiffened and turned away, he removed his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. Aziraphale had been talking about him, about his fear of shifting ''no. I can't bring myself to do it.''

''What do you fear? Why do you hate that part of you now?'' Raphael watched him carefully, studying his every small movement ''you know you can talk to me about anything. We once promised we wouldn't have any secrets from each other.''

''I...Um...I am afraid I will get stuck in my snake form and forget my family. I don't want to risk that happening, I have been encouraging Eden to practise her shifting but the idea of doing it myself again frightens me. That and the nightmares I have been having where I attack Eden and Aziraphale while I am in that form.'' His voice cracked slightly at the end and it was clear he was in distress, ''I can't begin to imagine what will happen when I am due to shed in a couple of years, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.''

''You shouldn't be frightened of who you are. Don't let what Gabriel did to you keep you from doing something you love doing.''

''You don't know what it felt like. You didn't notice your memories fading little by little.''

''No! But I felt yours. That's why I visited you in the cell even though I knew you wouldn't know me, I made sure you wouldn't Aziraphale. Don't forget that even though you were forced to forget me I never forgot you. I felt everything you did, it's not the same but you were not alone.'' Raphael's voice was a little sharp and he had moved position so he now knelt in front of Crowley, he looked him in the eye and held his gaze ''I will never allow something like that to happen to you again. Do you believe me?''

Crowley nodded ''I do. I'm sorry, please don't give up on me. Also, I may have been forced to forget you but not everything was taken away. I knew I missed something, I didn't know what it was but I always felt hollow, so I hadn't fully forgotten you.''

''Shift for me. Now'' Raphael moved back slightly and waited. Crowley shook his head. ''Shift for me Crowley, please.''

Taking a deep, shuddering breath Crowley concentrated on his shifting. At first it looked like nothing was going to happen but slowly Crowley's shape changed and in his place was the beautiful dark scaled serpent. Raphael smiled and stroked the silky scales gently ''how do you feel?''

''Uncomfortable. But it does feel good to be like this again'' Crowley nuzzled Raphael lovingly ''but I don't think I can do this very often.''

''Shift a little everyday. Stay in that form longer each day, we will get you back to your old self in no time at all. You are a strong being Crowley don't let Gabriel's stain stay with you'' it hadn't been easy for Crowley but Raphael was more then willing to help him. He would help his family in any way he could. 

''Thank you'' Crowley curled himself around Raphael, the only way he could hug while in snake form and nudged at the long red curls playfully. ''I hope one day things can be normal, I am starting to feel tired over all this shit'' the scales made whispering sounds as the long, sleek body settled on Raphael's shoulders.

They continued talking while the rain got heavier, the trees kept them sheltered pretty well but soon Raphael and Crowley were heading home in a hurry. Crowley felt a lot lighter but he still had a lot of worries, Eden wasn't fully out of danger yet and it was possible she may never be. But with her parents and her uncle by her side anyone who wanted to harm her would have a very difficult time.

Pausing at the door to 'Lily Cottage' Raphael looked up at the dark clouds and thought about what Crowley had told him, he had been running heaven at one point and if keeping the All Mighty locked up then so be it. From inside he heard Eden laugh at something on the telly, she needs to have a normal childhood before things got out of hand for her.

Raphael smiled and went inside, there was much to do but they had plenty of time to sort things out.


	8. Looking ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eden looks ahead to her future.

Over the next couple of weeks things went smoothly enough, Eden's burns were healing nicely. She was very happy about this as she had noticed that her favoured animal form, a beautiful sleek Ocelot, had no fur on its front legs. Boy it looked weird but Raphael had taken a look and promised the fur would grow back in time ''you will have a few little scars, but I am happy with how you are getting along despite healing naturally.''  
Eden had shown her power a few days ago after helping with a wild fire that started in the Australian outback, she had sent a strong wind to blow the fire back the way it had come, stopping it from spreading, then a large storm with heavy down pours of rain to douse the flames. It had taken a lot out of her and Eden had spent two whole days asleep, ''We are so proud of you sweetheart. You really are a girl of your word'' Aziraphale whispered to her before placing a kiss on her forehead. He and Crowley hoped she didn't over do it so early on.

Crowley called Luke to inform him when Eden woke up and her friend came by to see her, he had been keeping an eye on the school and told her that nothing had been found that could have caused it ''so She started the fire yet did nothing to make it look like an accident. She was probably hoping no one would look to closely. Anyway they hope to get everything finished by the end of the month'' Luke sat on the edge of Eden's bed and looked at her now bandage free arms, they were looking better and the blisters on her cheeks had also gone down. Eden had made sure a few of the worse blisters would scar but she also made sure that her freckles were clear, she liked her freckles and knew Luke did too. ''Maybe I can get through the rest of school before anything major starts happening. But if Raphael keeps her locked up things should be easy'' Eden pushed herself up and plucked at her bed covers, the skin on her arms still felt tight.

She looked at Luke and though about her future, she liked him a lot but one thing was going to be a permanent wall between them. He was mortal. Seeing him age and one day passing would be heart braking enough with him as her friend, but should he become anything more it would be too much to handle. Sometimes she envied how easy her parents made everything look even though she knew full well it had been anything but. ''Have you been able to replace your school bag and stuff?'' Nearly everyone had lost their school bags and work in the fire, the only ones who had gotten their stuff back were the pupils who had been in the external classrooms, ''yes, thankfully. We all will have to play catch up to replace for the work that was lost'' Luke reached out and started playing with one of Eden's curls. He liked twisting them through his fingers, he knew it soother her and it gave him an excuse to touch her gently. What would her mother do if he knew what this human boy thought of his daughter?

''I heard what you did with the wild fire, that was amazing'' Luke smiled at her and saw her face flush a little ''thank you. If I can help stop those types of fires from doing too much damage and save lives then that will be the start of my journey in life. Protecting people and the Earth'' sometimes she felt a tight knot in her stomach when she thought about what she had declared to do, but she was more than ready to take on the responsibility. She had her parents, uncle and friends to help her out, she would never be alone during this.

A knock on the bedroom door had the teenagers turn towards it, Crowley stood there holding a tray filled with food. Eden had been eating a lot since she woke up and she was feeling very hungry ''thank you mama. You must have heard my stomach'' she had been trying to stop it from growling. Crowley smiled at them ''just try and keep your strength. And you'' here he looked at Luke ''look after her'' Crowley left the bedroom with a small smile, Luke looked utterly confused ''what did he mean by that? I will always look after you.''

''He's protective, more so since the fire. Don't take what he says to heart'' Eden selected a sandwich before sliding the tray towards Luke, he picked the bowl of crisps and sat back on the bed. They had their lunch in comfortable silence listening to the wind outside, it was nice doing this. Sitting in silence was sometimes the best medicine. ''What do you think you will do? Once you finish school and take on your role of protector, will you do that here on Earth or will you join Raphael in heaven and work beside him up there?'' Luke had thought hard about asking her this, he really wanted to know what was going on inside that head of hers, Eden looked at the bed covers and went quiet for a while. ''I don't know. I may split my time between both but I want to spend most of my time here. Earth is my home after all'' Eden knew why he was asking and understood, she didn't want to think about being away from him for long periods of time.

''Listen Luke, I still have a lot to think about but I have a very loose idea of what I am going to do. I want to have you by my side as much as possible when doing all this, you are my best friend and I love you. You are one of the main people I want to protect, things are not going to be easy they may be unbelievably hard at times, but please know that I want you there next to me'' Eden lent forwards and kissed Luke gently on the lips and looked at him softly ''will you stay with me? Will you help me be a great protector of our planet? Will you help me fight anyone who will threaten that?''

''Yes. Yes I will, I love you too. I want to help as much as possible, I don't know how much help I can be, what with being a human with no magical powers, but I will do all I can'' Luke pulled Eden into a hug and held her tight. Eden relaxed into the hold and was happy enough to stay there, her life was going to be tough but with her loved ones by her side she knew the weight of the world would no be so heavy.

Thinking back to the All Mighty and everything She had done over the centuries made Eden want to clean up her mess even more, from banishing her mother, imprisoning her uncle and allowing Gabriel to run the place into the gutter there was a lot to do. Raphael had a lot on his plate too, he had the current affairs to deal with anything that was yet to come fell to Eden. He would sort out as much as he could so there was as little as possible in the future, he didn't want his only niece to have piles of problems down the line. 

''What has She done to Crowley and Raphael? I have a feeling their past runs deeper than what they have told us'' Luke asked brushing the red curls away from Eden's face, she shrugged and shook her head ''I don't know. There is a lot hidden inside their heads. I think it is something bad, they have a lot of anger to get out of them. The banishment is definitely not the only thing they are bitter about.''

Maybe one day the truth would come out. But until then Eden was going to focus on the jobs ahead of her, to create the safest world she could. To become the protector of the future Eden.


End file.
